This is definitely worth reading. It shows the terrible burden we place on ordinary citizens when we ask them to decide death. She mentions that even the victim's mother is not sure whether Christopher Evans should get the death penalty.

KALW News
Inside the Courts, Day1: Deciding Death
By Rina Palta on Monday, Nov 16, 7:38pm

I remember visiting a courthouse once on a school field trip and a judge telling us, after annoyedly referencing both Perry Mason and Judge Judy, that "the court is nothing like you see on tv." After day one in my two-week embed at Alameda County's Superior Court (part of a series on the courts funded through Spot.us) I have to say that's not entirely true.

Yes, most of the courthouse is surprisingly serene. The first floor is a little bustley with civilians milling about, waiting for their shot at jury duty. The rest of the building, including the court rooms, is pretty sparse. And at first glance, even the criminal jury trial rooms, like Department 8, Judge Vernon Nakahara's chambers, are quiet, smallish, and lightly populated. But as the day wore on over in the criminal trials division, rhetoric flared, demonstrations ensued, and the courtroom started to live up to its dramatic reputation.

More: http://kalwnews.org/blogs/rinapalta/inside-courts-day1-deciding-death




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